Two unrelated post subjects this morning, one mysterious and one clinical. Clinical comes first so we can get it out of the way.
I had no idea how difficult taking a selfie of my lower back would be (and yes, I’m wearing pants). And to think I thought bird photography was tough.
My back surgery (a double laminectomy at L2 – L3 and L3 – L4 and a single laminotomy at L5 – L-6) took place very early in the morning two days ago at St. Mark’s Hospital. I ended up spending only about 26 hours in the hospital and arrived home yesterday morning feeling pretty good, all things considered. At this point the incision and surrounding area have become moderately painful but I have Percoset for that when I need it. The potentially good news is that most if not all of the worst pain caused by spinal stenosis I’ve had in my legs and especially my buttocks seems to be much relieved already (those friends worried about me losing my notorious “pain in the butt” factor need not worry…). But it’s too early to tell if the improvement is actually a result of the surgery because the pain normally waxes and wanes to some degree, or even if the improvement will last. I should know more about that soon.
Since the surgery involved excision of parts of several vertebrae and detachment of muscles, full recovery is going to take some time. My activities are much restricted for six weeks as the bone and muscles heal and there’ll be no bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches allowed (Bending, Lifting or Twisting) for me during that time. I’ll have to get creative with my bird photography techniques because of some of the physical restrictions. After that first six weeks my recovery will continue but the worst of it should be behind me.
Some or all of the nerve damage (neuropathy) in my feet will very likely be permanent but there’s at least some hope that I’ll eventually be able to go back to wearing shoes again. I haven’t worn shoes (only loose sandals) for the last 18 months. Even if the neuropathy persists I can live with it as long as I can walk free of major pain again and resume many of my normal activities. I’m sick to death of an unkept house and ratty yard and Mia and I very much look forward to resuming our camping/photography trips that we’ve had to mostly forego for almost two years. My new camping trailer is a huge incentive to do my part in keeping my act together during recovery.
So, I’m encouraged. But by nature I’m a pessimist so I don’t think my expectations are unreasonably high.
Ok, I’m tired of all these health-related blog posts so I’m including something I’m intrigued by but I’ve been hesitant to post about, partly because the documenting images are of mediocre quality and partly because the subject may seem inconsequential to many of my readers. But I keep coming back to it so here goes:
About three weeks ago I photographed this Canada Goose in flight over a local pond. It was backlit on an overcast afternoon but the feather it lost in flight added some small amount of interest so I opened a few of the images to look at them a little more carefully.
Notice the distance from the bird to the feather in this photo, file #9456.
And then notice the distance from the goose to the feather in the next photo in the burst, 1/10th of a second later, file #9457. Both images are cropped the same amount in an effort go give an accurate visual estimation of distance but in the second photo the feather has become almost 50% closer to the goose. Given the speed of the bird and the following conditions I can’t quite figure out how that could happen.
- The breeze, if any, was light and definitely much slower than the goose. Besides, the feather isn’t tumbling as one might expect if it was being blown to the left.
- The bird was gliding rather than flapping so wing turbulence shouldn’t have been sufficient to somehow “suck” the feather backwards.
- I double-checked to see if I somehow got the order and/or file numbers of the photos mixed up. I didn’t.
- In the photos following this one the feather was no longer visible because the bird was too close to the bottom of the frame.
Much ado about nothing I suppose but I can’t “finger it out”. Perhaps that’s because of an inherent cognitive weakness on my part but I prefer to blame it on the drugs…
Ron
Notes:
- Recently as I was walking out of the grocery store in the snow wearing my well-used Birkenstock sandals some old guy (probably about my age…) asked me if I was from Minnesota. My reaction to his question prompted him to explain that Birkenstocks worn with socks in the snow is almost a Minnesota standard. I was tempted to tell him a Montana story or two but my feet were too cold to dally in conversation.
- Normally including a near-naked photo of me wouldn’t be my style but in an email last night blog follower Muffy S. Gately almost challenged me to do so. How could I resist?
- My posts to Feathered Photography will likely continue to be sporadic for a few days as my recovery progresses. Hopefully this will be the last post related to my back issues and surgery but I believe my blog followers who’ve come to expect daily posts deserve to know what’s going on.
Addendum:
- I believe the “mystery” has been solved by Brian G. in his comment below. I can’t believe I missed it but I thought the bill of the bird was the feather quill and once I saw it that way I was screwed. I’m embarrassed…
So happy you are up and around. I hope it is all a success for you.
I have a friend who lives in Birkenstocks with socks. She even found a nice pair to wear to her son’s wedding.
And yet another wish for your speedy recovery! Hope you are soon out and about doing your favorite things.
Pretty funny about the feather!!
Here’s one more well wish for a speedy recovery and remember to follow Dr’s orders or the recovery may be prolonged which obviously you don’t want that to happen.
the little birds are so brave, I finally picked up on what it was. Wish you many successful camping trips in the months ahead.
I thought the feather looked more like a bird….maybe my four eyes aren’t as good as they could be! So happy you are home just remember to log roll in bed which I had to do after my back surgery. The numbness in the side of my foot is easier to tolerate than the pain, and yes I had pain in my butt too. Many years after the surgery I started getting nerve spasms in the leg that was affected so had to train myself to sleep only on the affected side. Enough about me, please keep us posted on your progress because we care, another HUG!
I just had nose surgery (squamous cell carcinoma) and your bandage is way bigger than mine. Of course, you can cover your scar; me, not so much.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen soft porn on a nature photography site😉
Glad your posting again, drug-addled though it might be.. Two days without was enough.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen soft porn on a nature photography site”
Another first for Feathered Photography, Lyle – borderline inappropriate though it is….
My, My, you have a bevy of followers. I read every response and happy for you that you have so much support. Keep up the good patience and the great work. This road block will soon pass. Has a great and restful month and a half and imagine how nice your summer will be in your new camping digs. Fun post and was surprised and happy to see it today. Get well.
I sure do, Betty and they’re good folks too.
Ron, so glad to hear you’re recuperating well. Will hope for more if that.
Having had back problems for many years, the best thing that happened to help with my photography bending was my new Pentax KP with a tilt screen. Don’t know if your equipment has that but, boy, it sure has made a difference. Now I don’t have to follow my camera down to the ground.
Best of luck in your continued recovery.
Thanks, Kath. I don’t have to follow my camera to the ground because I never shoot from there. I don’t shoot macro and with bird photography I rarely have to (get to) shoot from that angle since I’m usually using my pickup as a mobile blind.
Glad you are bac!.
Hey, let me offer a suggestion to inexpensively help with house cleaning if you have mobility problems (and like most of us, don’t like to clean much 🤪). Consider getting a robotic vaccuum.. I got one for my wife for Christmas as she also has severe back problem an cleaned foors while I cooked and most other chores. I had always seen them as a decadent expense, but having usesd one now for a month+, I see it almost as essential as a washer/dryer. I thought it just might assist our cleaning a bit, but it actually cleans better than us. It gets under beds, furniture, table, and rolls seamlessy from rugs to wood floor. What I had not expected was how much dirt and dust it still picks up every day – almost a fistful. SInce we aren’t tracking much in and try to be tidy, I couldn’t figure it out. Then I realized its picking up the dust thats in the air and settles — dus from our discarded skin, hair, clothes – you name it. And the floors look better than I can ever recall. We got ours for $129.00 on a christmas sale – very worth the money, and very light, easy to use, and clean.
Here’s to a speedy recovery!
I’ve wondered about getting one of those contraptions, Kent. If you don’t mind my asking, what brand and model did you purchase? Is it loud?
Hi Ron,
We got an Eufy 11S.Iniially I was looking at brands that were twice as much but thought if we didn’t like it we wouldn’t be out a lot of money . Its not loud at all – I can play a piano with it nudging around my feet and notice the gentle taps more than the noise.
Like most people, there were several reasons not go get one, and it turns our none of my fears came true.
I was worried where it would go, as the instructions said it needed a 6 foot by 6 foot space. NOT. Ours hides under a small chest in our living room We don’t even know its there. It will either go there on its own after it runs for 90 minutes or it will go there after I hit a home button. I’ve got it in on a timer so it comes out of hiding every morning.
I also was concerned about filters, etc. But They are cheap and easily built, and last a long time.
I was worried about cords. We just moved some out of the way. It will bump into them along walls and ignore them unless it is repeatedly goes over them. Even if it does tanle, the brush is going slow enough that it doesn’t get held up much.
SInce getting it at Christmas, two friends have bought one after seeing it operate at our house. We took it to their house after they’d swept and vacuummed and we all were surprise how much more EUFY picked up. THey both are buying some.
Gotta go — heading over Winter WIngs Bird festival in Klamath Falls. Good luck!
Thanks for the info, Kent. I’ll ponder over it.
Ron, so glad to hear you are up and about, so quickly. Also glad that you may be having a few positive feelings already. Hope they continue.
I have to admit that you had me believing that the starling was a feather and I could hardly wait to hear the results of your investigation. Oh well.
Anyway so glad to hear from you so soon after your surgery. Your selfie is quite revealing!
“Your selfie is quite revealing”
Oh geez, that damn photo may not make it through lunbchtime! I had pants on but I deliberately wore them low so the entire bandage would show. That seems to have made it even worse…
It is before dawn on Valentines Day here so I feel I can get away with saying I LOVED seeing a post this morning. With a selfie no less.
I hope you are much better than my partner in following doctor’s orders. He is a complete toad while convalescing (which is unfair to toads). Suffice it to say he has pulled stitches stretching and lifing within hours of coming home.
And I had to read the comments to see the starling.
You can say you loved a post on any old day, EC – true or not!
NO more selfies though, especially ones like that one.
Laminectomy for stenosis in 2010. Impact and stretching exercise daily (hiking, yoga, swimming) + collagen supplements. I am on the mountain every day it’s not raining. You Will Be Fine.
Good news, Martha – for you and by extension hopefully for me. Thanks for that info.
DEFINITELY the fault of the drugs! 😜 Still a cool shot of the Canada Goose and friend. I find the goose’s left foot position interesting.
Continuing to giggle over your pants comment 😂 — thanks for the reassurance.😱 (Is it wrong of me to now want a BLT for lunch?)
It’s NEVER wrong to crave a BLT, Marty. I want them all year long but usually avoid them when tomatoes aren’t available in my garden. Store-bought tomatoes don’t deserve to be eaten or even to be called tomatoes.
Good Morning Ron. Was happy to see a post from you so soon. What a selfie. When I saw the Goose picture and a little bird behind it, I thought it was cute. Then you started talking about a feather. I was thinking that would be odd! Just take your time and follow the Doctor orders. It is worth it in the long run. Take it easy, and just go edit your photo collections.
“What a selfie”
That’s one way of putting it, Trudy. When I come out of my drug fog I’ll probably be sorely tempted to delete it.
Looks to me like thst “feather” can fly on its own…similar to the “feathers” that mob my feeder in the spring…when flocks of mixed black” feathers” come in together…redwinged black feathers, starlings and grackles, includesd…(HOW MANY FINGERS AM I HOLDING UP???)
I think I see 17 of them, Patty. I hope it isn’t just a middle one… 🙂
Glad you are on the mend. Keep shooting! Even if it is a reflection of your self.
Ha, that’s more than enough of those kinds of shots. Thanks, Brett.
Welcome back, Ron! What an unexpected treat to see Feathered Photography in my inbox today! Don’t worry about missing the Starling- I once crept up on a Screech Owl that was actually a very convincing bundle of dried leaves- but I can’t blame it on the drugs! Take good care-
I’ve done some similar things that made me feel pretty silly, Diane. I think it happens occasionally to many of us. I’m famous for sneaking up on an unusually shaped old wooden fence post with no bird on top.
Your surgical outcome sounds very good. I am happy for you. Bet you have enough photos to share with us while you recover thoroughly Diana
I hope you’re right about “enough photos”, Diana. I might have to get a little creative…
Glad you’re on the mend my friend. Take it easy and heal up…post when you can I say, but get better first.
Thanks, Zaph. You’re right, priorities are primary. I think I’ll hesitate more in the future when I’m drugged up.
YES! SO glad you’re home and doing reasonably well! VBG! I thought I had a “problem” since all I saw was the other bird! 😉 My eyes aren’t the greatest any more either BUT! ANYWAY hopefully your recovery will continue as it should. With chunks of bone missing there is a HUGE incentive for BLT!
“With chunks of bone missing there is a HUGE incentive for BLT!”
I don’t need an incentive to crave BLT’s, Judy – they’re my vary favorite sandwich. Thankfully it isn’t garden tomato season or I’d be in a world of hurt missing them if I really couldn’t eat them… 🙂
Wish you a speedy recovery! You’re a tough ole bird and I’m certain you can recover quickly and pretty completely. >)
Charlotte
You’ve got the “ole bird” part pegged, Charlotte so I hope you’re right about the rest. Thank you.
Ron, I think drugs are likely the reason for your missing the starling. Knowing your normal powers of observation, I doubt you would have missed it otherwise. Glad to hear the surgery may have made a really significant improvement in your quality of life. Take care of yourself well in hopes of maintaining the improvement for years to come. There are a lot of people rooting for you, and for us since we enjoy your blog so much and want it to continue!
“I doubt you would have missed it otherwise”
I sure hope that’s the reason, Nancy. Otherwise I’m in big trouble… 🙂
WOW–WELCOME “BACK” ( pun intended )—I’m so happy to see that you’re already making a run at posting again, so soon !
I guess Brian and I saw the same thing– before I even read you’re commentary, I thought “that little bird behind the Canada Goose must be pretending to be
a heat-seeking missile”…….I’m impressed by what an early-rising blog audience you’ve raised this morning–we’re all tickled to see you !
I think a lot of us are early birds, Kris – part of that is probably because many of my readers are in earlier time zones than I am.
Ron, good morning. Well, Brian beat me to it. My very first thought was, that’s not a feather – that’s a small black bird. It was too small to be a raven, but maybe a starling or similar. So glad to hear and see that the surgery is complete and behind you. Hey, that’s a good pun 🙂
Best wishes for a pain-free and speedy recovery and many more years of outstanding photos.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Thanks, Everett. There are plenty of starlings in the area and I’m now pretty sure that Brian is right.
Ron, 1st of all I’m so glad your surgery is behind you & that you are actually feeling some relief. My best friend had back surgery when she lived in TX & the surgeon told her she would have immediate relief from pain. However, when she came to in recovery she was in terrible pain. The surgeon told her later that he had to really do some extensive work in the area which caused the nerves to be really activated. By the next day she was feeling so much better. This happened in 1972 when there were more surgeries that caused no change or made it worse. So to hear things are better in some areas already for you, is such good news. I laughed out loud at the “Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato”/ No Bending, lifting, twisting!! Even after surgery your humor comes thru. As for the feather getting closer instead of further a way, made my jaw drop. I’m going to read the other comments to see about a solution!! Now be sure to “Follow Doctor’s orders”!!
Back surgery has come a long ways since the time you refer to, Jo Ann. And I was lucky on several fronts – the surgeon told me that I had very little bleeding which can complicate things, he found exactly what he expected to find when he got in there so there were no cruel surprises and I had no negative reaction to anesthesia. Since the only surgery I’d had before was a simple hernia repair over 50 years ago when I was 19 using ether as the anesthetic I had no track record with modern anesthetics so he was a little concerned about how I’d react to them. In some cases they can be problematic to say the least.
Good news. Welcome back!
No worries on missing the bird 🙂
Thanks on both counts, Art. I hope your recent camping trip was a good one. I’m also hoping my memory is serving me right about that trip – given my track record this morning that’s a dubious assumption…
I wish you a speedy recovery, first of all.
As for the feather in the picture; I agree with others that it looks like a small bird, maybe speeding faster than the goose hence blurred and out of focus. Otherwise, although it’s large for a feather in my opinion, if it were a feather it would be lighter than the goose and descend with a slower speed.
Get well soon!
I agree, Dora. See my addendum.
Sending Good Vibes your way!
Speedy recovery!
Thank you, Judy.
Thanks for the update on the surgery. Sounds good. I missed the starling too. No postop drugs to blame.
If ol’ eagle eye David Sparks missed it too that makes me feel at least a little bit better. Thanks, Dave.
Thanks for sharing your post-op guaze pics. The starling disguised as a percocet feather made me feel a little better about life and pain. So, on to school to teach high school students the fine art of writing about the discovery of themselves. Your blogs always help with that. Courage! Every uphill battle eventually comes with a great view from the summit if we persist. ( I am pep-talking myself, knowing that you will understand because pain is always an uphill battle).
“Every uphill battle eventually comes with a great view from the summit if we persist”.
Your pep talk may have been meant for you but I’m taking it to heart, Suzanne. Thanks for that and good luck today!
A good recovery to you! Your Canada goose and friend shots made me smile. As for the old guy with the Minnesota question….I’m from Minnesota. I haven’t seen many Birkenstocks and socks around here this winter. Timberlands and Sorels for all. I think the old guy is fondly remembering another time. There are, however, a few guys who wear shorts in the snow.
Us old guys have a tendency to dwell on “other times”, Kathleen. 🙂
Thanks for the update….glad everything went well…hope your recovery is a speedy one….the “feather’ looks to me like a small bird…but as I am getting older my eyes just aren’t as good as they used to be…but that being said it still looks like a small bird to me…:-)..
“feather’ looks to me like a small bird”
See my response to Brian G. below, Steve. And than you for the good wishes.
Congrats on the good outcome. Also glad to hear & SEE your ‘wry’ sense of humor has not diminished! ☺️ It is all up-hill from here. I chuckled at the socks and sandals…only some-one who does it understands. We got 8-14.5 inches of snow in the area yesterday…on the news last nite they featured a fella using his snow-blower with knee high boots, parka, and basket-ball shorts. If it works…why not.
” If it works…why not”
I guess so, Kathy – but it wouldn’t work for me. I long to wear real shoes again, even in the summer heat.
Healing thoughts and best wishes to you, Ron! You may be a pessimist but you sure are a good sport! As usual I thoroughly enjoyed your bird photos and the words about them. Bon courage et merci beaucoup!
I had to look up even that simple French phrase up, Mary. The only French I ever learned was “fer me la bouche”. I learned that one from my Canadian mother, the reason is probably obvious to anyone who knows French… 🙂
As long as your excised vertebrae don’t catch up with you as that feather appears to be doing with the goose, it’ll all be good! Here’s to a speedy recovery.
Good point, Shoreacres.
Did you see the feather fall in the field? My first impression is that it looks like a starling to me. Glad you’re back home–hope the recovery is quick!
Dang, I believe you’re right, Brian! There are lots of starlings in the area. My only (poor) excuse for missing it is the drugs…
It’s a neat example of how our brains work! We make snap judgements (which are often correct), but once we “see” something one way, it’s hard to see it differently! I know I’ve been fooled plenty of times. Heck, I once called a side-blotched lizard a Black-throated Gray Warbler! 🙂
Your example of your own incorrect assumption made me smile, Brian. And made me feel better…
I also thought it looked an awful lot like a bird that maybe had “invisible” wings because of the angle and timing of wing beats. Definitely sympathize with how our assumptions and snap judgements can throw us off, especially when medicated, haha
Glad you’re surgical procedure was successful Ron, and that you are on the mend ! I hope that in a few weeks you will feel the improvement – happy healing
I feel the improvement from my previous symptoms already, Dominique – big time. The fuzziness and sleepiness from the drugs is also a big part of my life right now. Thank you.
Thanks for keeping us informed. Keeping you in our prayers.
Thank you, Sarah.